Fuel-air type bomb

Abstract

A highly destructive fuel-air type drop bomb which requires no retardation or restriction of its terminal velocity for efficient detonation; which utilizes a normally non-explosive, normally liquid fuel dispersed in air for its explosive power; which centrally carries a low brisance heaving type fuel dispersing explosive surrounded by the body of liquid fuel; which includes a proximity fuse to detonate the low brisance explosive to break the fuel container and to disperse the fuel into the surrounding air in minute particles to form an aerosol cloud of large volume and of substantially uniform density in close proximity to the target; and which carries a time delay detonator for detonating the aerosol cloud after it has formed.

Having described the invention with sufficient clarity to enable those familiar with this art to construct and use it, I claim: 
     
       1. A fuel-air type explosive bomb comprising, a housing;   a nitrated organic liquid fuel selected from the group consisting of ethyl nitrate, normal propyl nitrate, and a mixture of ethyl nitrate and normal propyl nitrate, within the housing;   a confined body of low brisance heaving type explosive having a detonation velocity of less than 3,000 feet per second, located within the housing and said liquid fuel which when exploded ruptures the housing and disperses the fuel in an aerosol cloud;   a proximity fuse means supported by the housing, and connected to the low brisance explosive by a shock wave transmission means; and   a fuel-air cloud detonating means carried on the housing, including: (a) a confined small quantity of high explosive and    (b) a milliseconds time delay detonator associated with said high explosive for detonating the high explosive a predetermined number of milliseconds after the low brisance explosive has exploded and shock wave transmitting means connecting the interior of the body of the low brisance explosive with said time delay detonation.     
     
     
       2. A bomb as described in claim 1, wherein the normally non-explosive liquid fuel is normal propyl nitrate. 
     
     
       3. A bomb as described in claim 1, wherein the normally non-explosive liquid fuel is ethyl propyl nitrate. 
     
     
       4. A bomb described in claim 1, wherein the normally non-explosive liquid fuel is a mixture of: from 58% to 60% C 2  H 5  NO 3   and from 40% to 42% C 3  H 7  NO 3 . 
     
     
       5. A bomb as described in claim 1, wherein the normally non-explosive liquid fuel is a mixture of C 2  H 5  NO 3  and C 3  H 7  NO 3 . 
     
     
       6. A bomb as described in claim 1, wherein the low brisance explosive in the first chamber is nitroguanidine. 
     
     
       7. The bomb described in claim 1, and: a tail assembly supported by the aft end of the housing and including; (a) a protective enclosure for the cloud detonating assembly, and   (b) aerodynamic fins supported by the enclosure for stabilizing the free fall of the bomb through the air.     
     
     
       8. The bomb described in claim 1 in which: the low brisance explosive in the first chamber of the housing is gelatin dynamite; and   the normally non-explosive flammable fuel in said second chamber is normal-propyl nitrate.   
     
     
       9. The bomb described in claim 1 in which the proximity fuse includes a time delay fuse arming mechanism and; a lanyard connected to said fuse arming mechanism and to the exterior of said housing; and   means for connecting an intermediate portion of the lanyard to a fixed portion of an airplane or other bomb carrier,   so that when the bomb is released from the carrier the lanyard initiates action of the time delay fuse arming mechanism of the fuse.